In view of the fact that the natural reserves of coal, oil and other carbonaceous fossil fuels are limited, a number of efforts have been made to develop fuel products from alternative sources. For example, it has been proposed that sewage and organic wastes should be processed to produce methane, a burnable gas. To my knowledge, however, such efforts to develop alternative fuel sources have not focused on the production of fuel products, such as carbon monoxide, from cultivatable forms of carbohydrate substances, even though the natural rate of regeneration of such substances, for example grains, trees and seaweed is quite rapid.
Carbon monoxide is valuable both as a fuel substance and as a chemical reactant. That is, carbon monoxide may be burned as a fuel (it has one-third the heat content of natural gas) and its combustion does not produce water. In addition, carbon monoxide can be converted to methanol, gasoline, fertilizer, and other valuable products of commerce or used directly to generate electric power in fuel cells.
While it is well known that cellulose is soluble in sulfuric acid to form amyloid (vegetable parchment), it has not been recognized heretofore that the treatment of cellulose and other carbohydrates with acids, such as sulfuric acid, under certain conditions can produce fuel products, such as carbon monoxide, in substantial quantities, which is to mean, a gaseous output which is about 50% or more carbon monoxide.